Despite a failed drug test and one-year suspension, James Irvin (15-8) is heading overseas to fight light-heavyweight champion Mamed Khalidov (21-4-2) in the headliner of next week’s KSW 15 event.

Officials today announced the title fight, which takes place March 19 in Warsaw, Poland.

Irvin recently was pulled from a Shark Fights 14 co-headliner and rematch with Houston Alexander due to his alleged used of the steroid epitrenbolone at December’s Tachi Palace Fights 7 event.

The California State Athletic Commission fined Irvin $2,500 and suspended him one year (retroactive to Dec. 3) due to the failed test. He has the right to appeal, and since U.S. athletic commission have virtually no reach overseas, can compete outside of the country.

Irvin suffered a loss this past August to Igor Pokrajac that brought about his UFC pink slip. His most recent fight at “Gladiator Challange: Young Guns 4″ ended in controversy when he threw an illegal knee at Mike Crisman that brought a no-contest conclusion. Prior to that, Jorge Oliveira submitted him in the Tachi Palace Fights 7 fight. He’s 1-4 (with one no-contest) in his past six fights.

Khalidov, who originally was slated to fight Matt Lindland and then Thales Leites before the Irvin booking, is 18-1-2 over since an early-career loss in 2005. The only defeat during the stretch came to World Victory Road/Sengoku middleweight Jorge Santiago, whom Khalidov bested a fight earlier in a non-title affair. Khalidov’s past four wins all have come via knockout, including a “Sengoku: Soul of Fight” victory over Yuki Sasaki in December.